Bed And Breakfasts - A Great Accommodation

Bed And Breakfasts - A Great Accommodation

One year the husband and I decided to take a little impromptu vacation. We were going to Huntsville, Ontario - which is something like a 2-hour drive from our home in Toronto. I was so excited to get out of the city. I was so excited to get out of the house, go for nice meals, have the bed made for me for once....

Well, we got to Huntsville, and everything was gorgeous as can be. Only the accommodations weren't quite what I expected. My husband Josh had parked the car in front of a bed and breakfast! I'd never been to a bed and breakfast before. And, to be honest, I wasn't feeling adventurous. But, fortunately, I was very pleasantly surprised.

The house was old and full of character. The owners, a lovely old couple, greeted us in tasteful bath robes and slippers. I think I might even remember the man of the house sitting in front of the fireplace, reading some hard-cover tome and sucking on an unlit pipe - although that may be more stereotype than memory. The atmosphere was just exactly what you'd imagine, so comforting and welcoming....

As we ascended the stairs, gripping the beautiful antique handrail, I became more and more comfortable with the idea of staying in someone else's home, as opposed to an impersonal hotel. It was clean, homey, and, again, full of character and full of love for Huntsville!

The bedroom was beautifully prepared for us and just lovely. The antique bed had ivory legs, and the mattress was luxuriously high! There were sweet antique pictures all over the walls, a rocking chair, a teeny antique bedside lamp. I'd never stayed in a place like this before. And I was liking it! For Josh, on the other hand, this was old hat, since he'd stayed at plenty of bed and breakfasts when he went backpacking through Europe as a teenager....

Unfortunately, there was no washroom in our bedroom, and we had to share one with another couple. But the other couple staying there was lovely, and we laughed at the so-called inconvenience.

And don't get me started on the breakfasts! The breakfasts made up for ANY perceived inconvenience. The food was whole, creative, rich and delicious, and the owner served it with great pride.

In the end, I loved the bed and breakfast and, indeed, the whole old-fashioned, grassroots concept of it. Betty's Bed and Breakfast, I believe it was called. Huntsville itself is a beautiful town with great shops and fun pubs by the water. But this Bed and Breakfast gave our trip character and made it utterly unforgettable, all those years ago now.... And, Betty did make our bed for us!